The grand new castle in Wokingham Borough was gleaming last week as final touches were added to the ramparts. Called “The Finchampstead Hideout,” it forms the centrepiece of the refurbished play area at Finchampstead Memorial Park.
After more than a month’s work by Setter play, the adventures are set to open on Monday 9 March. Workmen were also seen laying surplus gravel in the new garden around Finchampstead Memorial Cross.
The facilities were funded with so-called ‘CIL’ money from developers – a charge collected to build new infrastructure when development takes place in the area.
A spokesperson for the Parish Council, “The new play area now offers a far more engaging environment for children, with colourful, high-quality equipment that provides a variety of play experiences including climbing, balancing, sliding and imaginative play.
“The refreshed space has been designed to appeal to a wide range of ages and abilities, ensuring that the park continues to be a welcoming place for families across the parish.”
Not everyone is happy: one eight-year-old was said to be ‘very very sad’ at the removal of his favourite climbing frame shaped as a train, and a prominent community member said she was left ‘in tears’ after a conical roundabout described as a ‘witch’s hat’ was removed and crushed rather than offered to residents to salvage.
The new play area features the mighty castle and an ‘Itsy Bitsy Toddler Climber’ for little ones, new rubber surfacing, a climbing wall, in-ground trampoline, bird’s nest swing and flat seat swings. There’s an adventure trail, see-saw, spinner bowl, two cradle swings, music and mirror panels, a springy rocker and a replacement bus for the much-loved train – which one parish councillor says will provide a ‘more reliable service’.
Designs were finalised after schoolchildren voted on names, colours and options, and there was a consultation open to the public at Finchampstead Memorial Hall.
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
